Object location apparatus with three-dimensional scalar representation



Apnl 28, 1953 J. L. PETERS ETAL 2,637,023

OBJECT LOCATION APPARATUS WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL SCALAR REPRESENTATION Flled March 28, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 54W T00 11/ a 135 w INV NTORS JOHN L ETERs ERIC 0. Isa/a TER ATTORNEY April 28, 1953 J. PETERS OBJECT LOCATION APPARATUS WITHETT}|2 EE-DIMENSIONA12;637,023

SCALAR REPRESENTATION Filed March 28, 1947 4 Sheets$heet 2 Tkl/l/JM/ 775E Q INVENTORS dOl-IA/ PE TERS ERIC u. ISB/STER ATTORNEY April 28, 1953 J. L. PETERS arm. 2,637,023 OBJECT LOCATION APPARATUS WITH WEE-DIMENSIONAL SCALAR REPRESENTATION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 28, 1947 A fi ENT $76 M OBJECT LOCATION APPARATUS WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL SCALAR REP- RESENTATION John L. Peters, Hempstead, and Eric J. Isbister, Garden City, N. Y., assignors to The Sperry Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application March 28, 1947, Serial No. 737,906

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to the detection and positional representation of objects such as aircraft, and is particularly concerned with the presentation of an object distribution pattern appearing as a three-dimensional scalar representation of the positions of the detected objects.

- This is a continuation-in-part of United States patent application Serial No. 703,060, now Patent No. 2,602,921, filed October 12, 1946 by the present inventors.

An objective of the present invention is the representation of the spatial distribution of obiects, e. g., aircraft, in such a way that an observer is readily apprised of the positions and directions of movement of the objects or craft, so that he is enabled to supervise or regulate the operation of one or more of them to avert collisions.

Apparatus has heretofore been devised for development of a three-dimensional spatial representation of significant patterns, as set forth in United States Patent 2,361,390, issued October 31, 1944 to Thomas M. Ferrill, Jr., and assigned to the assignee of the present application. It is an object of the present invention to provide an object detection system, such as a radar system, incorporating such a three-dimensional presentation apparatus for directly portraying the positional distribution in space of the objects, such as aircraft, within a predetermined space volume.

In accordance with an important feature of this invention, a highly directive radar system located at a selected point in space is arranged for directional search scanning throughout a space volume thereabout, and for obtaining data representing the angle of elevation and azimuth angle and the distance or slant range of each detected object within the volume searched. Apparatus is provided for derivation from this spherical coordinate data of Cartesian coordinate data as to the object positions, and for timely transfer of the Cartesian coordinate data to a. suitable arrangement for three-dimensional indication, e. g., an arrangement of the type set forth in Patent 2,361,390, referred to above.

The invention also relates to the novel features or principles of the instrumentalities described herein, whether or not such are used for the stated objects, or in the stated fields or combinations.

The above objects and features of the present invent on will become more apparent, and other objects will be indicated in the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, considered in reference to the drawings, wherein:

Figs. l-A and l-B together constitute a diagram of an object detection and representation system incorporating the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary diagram showing a mechanical detail of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. l-A;

Fig. 3 is a graphical representation of voltages involved in the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a diagram of a modification of the arrangement in Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams indicating the space position of a point both in terms of spherical coordinates and in terms of Cartesian coordinates and also indicating the positions of selected projection planes for consideration in reference to object positions; and

Fig. '7 is a diagram of a modified version of the present invention.

Referring now particularly to Figs. l-A and l-B, there is shown a radar transmitter-receiver apparatus ll of the type shown in the textbook Principles of Radar, 1944, 1946, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coupled to a. directive antenna l3 which is flexibly supported and arranged for regular scanning throughout a hemispherical space volume extending upward from the horizon. A component resolving image transfer system I5 (Fig. l-B) is provided for development of significant electronic charges positioned according to selected pairs of rectangular or Cartesian coordinates corresponding to the positions of detected objects. A three-dimensional presentation arrangement I! is provided for utilizin these charge-images and for portraying, three-dimensionally, a representation of the objects detected through the operation of the radar antenna l3 and the transmitter-receiver unit H.

The regular directional scanning of an antenna throughout a space volume may be accomplished either mechanically or electronically, or with a system combining these functions. Electronic antenna directivity scanning systems are illustrated and claimed in U. S. patent application Serial No. 545,580, now Patent No. 2,437,281

, filed July 19, 1944 by Gereld L. Tawney for High Frequency Radiant Energy Apparatus. Employment of electronic directivity variation enables higher scanning speeds to be accomplished, and hence is somewhat more desirable for use in the present invention. However, the arrangement 13 is illustrated as a fully mechanical scanning system, in the interest of simplicity.

This system includes a radiator element 2| positioned at the focal point of a paraboloidal reflector 23. The reflector 23 is pivotally supported in a yoke 25 for freedom about a nod axis 21 perpendicular to the principal axis of the paraboloidal reflector 23. The yoke 25, in turn, is pivotally supported in a vertical main bearing 29, referred to as the spin bearing, for permitting high-speed rotation of the yoke and the antenna unit carried thereby about spin axis 3| perpendicular to the nod axis 21.

The yoke 25 is coupled as through a gear train 32 to a spin drive. motor 33. The antenna 2|, 23 o is coupled as through'an axially translatable tubular member 31 to a nod drive motor 49. Member 31 has a collar 39 at one" end thereof coupled to apivoted lever arm 43 driven through a crank pin 45 and connecting rod 41 by the nod drive motor 49. An arm 4| at the upper end of tubular sleeve 31 is coupled to the antenna apparatus 2| 23 through any selected arrangement for transfer irom translatory oscillation to a rotational oscillation of the antenna apparatus about the nod axis 21. Fig. 2 shows an illustrative arrangement for this purpose, wherein the arm 4| is con-v nected to a belt or chain 5| operated over an idler pulley 53 pivotally supported in yoke and a pulley or sprocket 55 aflixed to the antenna 'unit 2|, 23 coaxially with the nod axis 21.

Through this arrangement, the rotation of the crank 45 by motor 49 produces translatory oscillation of the sleeve 31 and arm 4|, in turn causing oscillation of the antenna apparatus 2|, 23 about the nod axis 21. The operating speeds of motors 33 and 49 and the gear ratios of the connecting arrangements preferably are selected for producing many spin cycles or revolutions of the antenna apparatus about spin axis 3| during each nod cycle of the antenna 2|. 23 about the nod axis 21.

The dipole element 2| located substantially at the focal point of the parabololdal reflector 23 is coupled through a wave guide section 6| to n) a coaxial transmission line section 63 extending coaxially through sleeve 31 down to radar transmitter-receiver unit A sawtooth sweep wave generator 13 is coupled to the radar transmitter-receiver unit H, and arranged to produce a sawtooth sweep wave of frequency equal to the repetition frequency of recurrent high-frequency energy pulses transmitted through antenna 2|, 23 by unit II. This sweep wave generator is synchronized with the pulse transmission in such a way that the voltage between the generator output terminals 14 at any instant is proportional in a predetermined ratio to the slant range of (i. e., the distance to) an energy-reflecting object from which a reflected high-frequency energy pulse is received at that instant.

If the three-dimensional indicator were so arranged that the movement (or apparent movement) of its presentation screen could be synchronized with the seaming of'the antenna in such a way that the presentation screen position would scalarly correspond in height to the heights of all detected objects at the moments of reception of pulses reflected therefrom, then the output signals from the radar receiver could be applied directly to the control grid of the presentation oscilloscope, and the scanning circuits could be coupled directly to the antenna rotating mechanism, as in a, Plan Positional Indicator radar system. Such synchronization is not feasible, however, in view of the dissimilarity of characters of the radar directional scanning system and the presentation arrangement. Therefore, an image transfer arrangement I5 is proelectron-image storage tubes ||I| and I93, of a type developed for obviating absolute synchronization between two television channels, and permitting a selected time delay between the scan cycles thereof." Storage tubes of the general type illustrated at IM, 13 are illustrated and described in pages 326 and 327 in the textbook- 1 "Television" by V. K. Zworykin and G. A. Morton,

John Wiley '6; Sons, 1940.

Storage tubes |0| and 93 are used in the present invention not only for permitting time delay between input and output sections but also for voltage varying according to the electronic charges of successive mosaic elements sequentially traversed by the output electron beam.

.The input electron gun of each of the storage tubes |0| and I93 is coupled to the radar units l3 for the development of elemental electron charges at significant points on the, respective mosaics I05 and I01 corresponding to an elevation projection of object position and plan projection of object position, respectively, the scanning. of the electron beams in these input electron guns being regulated according to the direction of aiming of the antenna 2| 23 and also according to variations of output voltage from the slant range sweep wave generator 13. Receiver output terminals of the radar transmitter-receiver unit II are connected to the control grid circuits of both of the input electron guns for permitting input electron beam impingement upon the mosaics only at the moments of reflected pulse reception, and hence at points on these mosaics determined according to a selected function of target range and direction.

The output electron guns are connected for output electron beam deflection synchronously with the scanning of the three-dimensional oscilloscope indicator unit l1, and circuit arrangements are provided for permitting electron beam activation of the fluorescent screen in the indicator l1 only at those moments when output voltage pulses are simultaneously produced by storage tubes |0| and H13 by virtue of impingement of their output electron beams upon mosaic elements bearing object-representing electron charges. In this way, point activation of the fluorescent screen of the indicator I1 is accomplished at the points in the object representation determined by reliance upon orthographic projzcltion data developed in the storage tubes I03.

The input electron beams of storage tubes |0| aesaoas and I03 are swept horizontally in synchronism according to such a simultaneous function of the range sweep output voltage at terminals 14 and the direction of aiming of antenna 2|, 23 that the input beam impingement spots (at a moment of energization of the input electron beams by an output pulse from receiver output terminals 65 of unit II) are deflected from the vertical median planes of the storage tubes by extents proportional to the linear displacement of the pulse-reflecting object from a selected vertical plane passing through the radar scanning system l3, e. g., from the north-south vertical plane passing through axis 3|. For this purpose, the range sweep wave from generator 13 is supplied to the input terminals of a dual potentiometer unit 11 linked as indicated at 19 to the nod movement-producing mechanism 43, 45, 41, 49 in the directional scanning system l3. The dual ptentiometer unit 1'! is so arranged as to provide an output voltage version corresponding generally in wave form to the saw-tooth output voltage of range sweep wave generator 13, but having an amplitude varying in proportion to the sine of the angle a. (see Fig. of deviation between the directive axis of antenna 2|, 23 and the normally vertical spin axis 3| of the signal system. The voltage at any instant between the output taps of the dual potentiometer unit TI therefore corresponds to the horizontal component of distance to an object from which a reflected energy pulse is received at that instant.

The output voltage between the taps of dual potentiometer unit 11 is supplied to a further functional transformation unit 8| arranged to provide output voltages corresponding generally in wave form to the saw-tooth waves supplied at the output taps of dual potentiometer unit 11 but varying in amplitude as the sin and cos, respectively, of the angle of revolution 0 (Fig. 5) of the yoke 25 and antenna 2|, 23 about the vertical axis. These angles of revolution may be taken with reference to a selected vertical median plane passing through the axis 3|, e. g., the north-south vertical plane.

The output circuit 85 of the functional unit 8| in which is developed a voltage version varying in amplitude as the sin of the angle of revolution 0 of the antenna from a northerly aiming is connected to the horizontal deflection plates of the input electron guns of both storage tubes HH and I03. The other output circuit 83 of device 8|, in which is developed a voltage version varying according to cos 0, is connected to the other deflection plates of the input electron gun of the plan projection storage tube |03, in order to deflect the beam thereof transversely according to the distances of the detected objects from the east-west vertical plane passing through axis 3|. The unit 8| is illustrated as a multiple-winding variable transformer or transmitter unit such as a 90 selsyn unit, coupled through a 1:1 ratio gear coupling system including gears 82 and 84 to the yoke 25 for revolution of the rotor unit 88 in synchronism therewith. In order for this induction transfer unit to provide zero output voltage in both output windings at the moments of radar pulse transmission and to provide substantially linearly increasing voltage during an appreciable part of each interval between successive moments of radar pulse transmission, the output wave form of generator 13 may be such a wave form as is shown in Fig. 3. This alternating voltage wave passes through the zero-voltage axis at the moments of pulse transmission, and rises substantially linearly thereafter.

If preferred, a sine dual-potentiometer assembly and a cosine dual-potentiometer assembly may be used in a functional transfer unit 8|, or anized as in Fig. 4, replacing the inductive transfer unit 8|. The structure 8|, in Fig. 4 includes a crank pin 86 on the mitre gear 82, operating in cross slots in linearly translatable potentiometer control arms 88 and 90. The elements of the potentiometers are wound for a uniform high resistance gradient throughout, the overall resistance value of each element being appreciably greater than the resistance values of dual-potentiometer unit TI. Unit 8| may be used with such a wave form as is shown in Fig. 3, but it affords great latitude-as to the wave form of the output voltage from generator unit 13, in view of the transfer therethrough of direct current as well as alternating current components of the saw-tooth wave.

There is provided also a dual potentiometer unit 15 connected to the output terminals .14 of sweep wave generator I3 and operated by the linkage 19 according to the nod angle of the antenna 2|, 23. This dual potentiometer unit is so arranged as to provide maximum output amplitude when antenna 2|, 23 is aimed along the spin axis 3|, and the amplitude of the saw-tooth voltage between the movable taps of this dual potentiometer unit 15 decreases proportionally to cos a as the antenna is nodded downwardly by the action of motor 49. The output voltage between the taps of dual potentiometer unit I5 is supplied to the input gun vertical deflection plates of the elevation projection storage tube |0| for deflecting the input electron beam upward to a height proportional to the altitude of a detected object. With these arrangements, at the moment of reception of a reflected energy pulse from a distant object, the input electron beams of the storage tubes |0| and 83 are simultaneously permitted to deliver electron charges to significant points on the respective mosiacs I05 and I01, these points scalarly corresponding in position to the respective projections of the energy reflecting object upon a vertical eastwest plane and upon the horizontal plane.

The presentation apparatus |l includes a cathode ray tube |2| arranged for oscillation at a frequency of the order of 20. cycles per second along a vertical axis through an eccentric crank driving arrangement I23 on a driving motor I25, which is supplied by an electric power source I21. A synchronization voltage generator I29 is coupled to the motor I25 and crank |23 for producin a sinusoidal alternating output voltage corresponding in phase and frequency with the vertical movement of the cathode ray tube |2|. This sinusoidal output voltage is applied to the vertical deflection plates of the output electron gun in the elevation projection storage tube ||l| for sweeping the electron beam thereof vertically in synchronism with the vertical movement of the fluorescent screen of cathode ray tube |2|.

This voltage is also supplied to the input terminals of a frequency multiplier |3| and the output circuit of the frequency multiplier |3| is arranged to supply a frequency-control voltage of a much higher frequency, e. g. of the order of 600 cycles per second, to input terminals of a sawtooth sweep generator circuit |33. The sawtooth output voltage produced by circuit |33 is supplied to the horizontal deflection plates of the elevation storage tube output electron gun and aes'aoas to the lateral deflection plates of the plan storage tube output electron gun, and also to the eastwest deflection plates of the presentation cathode ray tube I2I, for deflecting the electron beams of these tubes synchronously in directions corresponding to the horizontal east-west direction. A further saw-tooth wave generator I35 which may have input synchronization terminals connected to the output circuit of unit I33 is arranged to supply a high-frequency saw-tooth sweep voltage e. g., a 30,000 cycle per second sawtooth voltag5e the transverse deflection plates of the plan ge tube output electron gun and to the north-s th deflection plates of the presentation catho e ray tube I2I; for synchronous deflections of the associated electron beams in directions corresponding to the horizontal northsouth direction.

The electron collector output electrodes MI and I40 of the storage tubes IN and I03, respectively, are connected to the input circuits of amplifiers I45 and I41, respectively, and the output circuits of these amplifiers are connected to the input 1n the vicinity.

Fig. 5 showsa geometrical diagram representing at point 0 the position occupied by thescanning system I3. In this diagram, the position of a radar energy reflecting object is represented at point X, being at a height it above the level of circuits of a coincidence unit I49, arranged to I provide output voltage only at moments of simultaneous input signal applications by amplifiers I45 and I4]. Coincidence circuits are well known, a representative unit of this type comprising an electron discharge tube such as a pentode having two grids (e. g., a control grid and suppressor grid) each normally biased to such high negative potentials as to prevent electronic current to the anode even when the bias applied to either the control grid or the suppressor grid is momentarily overcome. In such an arrangement, simulta neous positive voltages must be applied to the control grid and to the suppressor grid in order to permit the flow of electronic currents to the anode, and hence to develop an output signal in the anode circuit. The output circuit of the coincidence unit I49 is connected to the grid circuit, of the cathode ray tube I2I which normally is so biased as to prevent impingement of anactive electron beam upon the fluorescent screen of the cathode ray tube.

The north-south and east-west deflections of the output gun electron beam in the plan storage tube I03 are accompanied by corresponding north-south and east-west deflection voltages, respectively, in the deflection circuits of the presentation tube I2I; and the vertical deflection and horizontal deflection of the output gun electron beam in the elevation projection storage tube IOI correspond at all times with the height of the screen and the east-west deflection voltage, respectively, of the presentation tube I2I. At a moment when the output electron beams of units IOI and I03 both impinge upon highly charged mosaic elements, producing simultaneous output impulses at collector electrodes MI and I43, the amplifiers I45 and I" and the coincidence circuit unit I49 cooperate to cause momentary energization of the electron beam in tube I2I. The momentary impingement of the electron beam on the fluorescent screen of tube I2I occurs at a point corresponding scalarly, in height as well as' in plan position, with the location of the energy reflecting object from whichradar energy was reflected to cause the simultaneous deposits of electron charges on the mosaics I05, I01.

Where energy reflecting objects are at various points within the space volume searched by the radar scanning system I3, a plurality of luminous polnts are seen within the miniature space volume through which the fluorescent screen of the radar scanning observation point 0 and at a slant; range or straight-line distance r. The direction of the target at point X is defined by the azimuthal angle 0 measured from the north direction to the line OX passing through the projection X of point X in the horizontal plane ABCD,

and by the angle a measured from the vertical-- axis 3| to the line OK. The plan-position projection plane corresponding to a selected rectangular area on the mosaic I01 of storage tube I03 and a similar rectangular area of the fluorescent screen of cathode ray tube I2I is represented by the rectangle ABCD in Fig. 5; while the vertical-plane projection rectangle related to the useful area of the. elevation projection storage tube mosaic I05 is represented by the rectangle EFGH in Fig. 5.

As will be apparent from examination of this diagram, th plan projection point X falls at a distance m given by 1' sin a, and the rectangular coordinates n, p of the plane projection point X are given by 1' sin a sin 0 and r sin a cos 0, respectively. The east-west vertical plane projection -X" is similarly located in the east-west vertical projection plane EFGH by coordinates 11,. h, where h is given by 1' cos :1. Projection points X and X" in Fig. 5 correspond scalarly with the positions of the electronic charge points on mosaics I01 and I05, respectively, and hence a single illumination point in the volume swept by the screen of tube I2! is accurately determined through simultaneous contemplation of the electron charge positions on mosaics I05, I01.

It will be observed from comparison of the elevation scan frequency and the horizontal scan frequencies of representation arrangement N that many cycles of east-west scan of the electron beams are accomplished during each cycle of vertical oscillation of the tube I 2 I, and further, that a very large number of north-south scan cycles occur in the interconnected north-south scan circuits of tubes I03 and I2I during an east-west scan cycle. Thus, the mosaic area in tube I03 and the fluorescent screen area in tube I2I corresponding to the rectangle ABCD in Fig. 5 are swept or scanned by the corresponding deflection circuits through a complete cycle, corresponding generally to a sweep through a television scan raster or television frame, in a period of the order of 600 second, and such a substantially hori zontal frame is repeated recurrently as tube I 2| moves vertically upward through many repetitions, e. g. through frame scans and again, there are a large number (e. g. fifteen) of substantially horizontal frame scans as. the tube moves downward in the return sweep of the vertical scan cycle. It will be observed further that the output gunelectron beam impingement spot instorage indicator with the sweeps in indicator I1.

tube IOI progresses at a moderate speed along a line in mosaic I05 corresponding to an almost horizontal east-west line in plane EFGH as the successive north-south rapid scan lines on mosaic I01 are traversedin the progress in the east-west direction.

As the fluorescent screen of tube I2I arrives at the height-corresponding scalarly to the height h of the object point X (Fig. 5) the output electron beam impingement spot on mosaic I05 progresses along the nearly horizontal line I6I passing through the point of high-density electron charge corresponding to projection point X". During the passage through this point on mosaic I05 corresponding to projection point X", the output gun electron beam in plan projection storage tube I03 is making extremely rapid traversals along closely spaced lines in mosaic I01 corresponding to a group of very closely spaced north-south lines in plane ABCD passing through horizontal plane projection point X and points immediately adjacent thereto. The collector electrode MI of storage tube IOI receives an output impulse having a duration corresponding to the period of a northsouth sweep cycle, 1. e., a period of the order of 4 second as the output gun electron beam moves through the point on mosaic I05 corresponding to projection point X".

During this interval of output signal at collector electrode I4 I, the output gun electron beam in storage tube I03 passes rapidly through a point on plan projection mosaic I01 corresponding to projection point X, a time interval of the order of l microsecond being required for the passage of the beam through the elemental charge area corresponding to point X. Accordingly, there is produced at collector electrode I43 an output voltage impulse of duration of the order of one microsecond, occurring in the duration of the longer output impulse developed at collector electrode MI. The concurrence or time-coincidence of the impulses at electrodes Ill and I43 causes a beam energizing signal to be supplied by unit I49 to the control grid of presentation cathode ray tube I2 I. producing spot illumination thereof at a point in the presentation volume scalarly representing the position of point X, in the manner generally described before.

If desired, full electrical signal data corresponding to the operation of tube I2I may be transmitted as by a television transmitter I50, the transmitted radio-frequency energy being modulated according to a composite modulation wave including the video signals applied to the grid of tube I2! and regular signal impulses for synchronization of the sweeps in a remote three-dimensional A remote indicator like indicator l'l then may be connected to a radio receiver and scanned in the manner of a conventional television receiver, the receiver cathode ray tube also being oscillated synchronously with the oscillation of tube III.

A complete frame scan of mosaic I01 in tube I03 occurs coincidentally with each line scan in tube IN, and hence the successive scan frames in tube I03 correspond to successive levels of the fluorescent screen of tube IZI The electron charge on mosaic I01 positioned according to projection point X is traversed at least once during each frame scan thereof, and, hence the output pulses of the order of 1 microsecond duration occur at electrode I43 at intervals equal to the period of generator I33, 1. e., periods of the order of second. However, those output pulses at electrode I43 which do not occur during output pulses at electrode I4I are incapable of causing unit I49 to energize the presentation tube grid; otherwise the presentation tube screen would be spotilluminated at a succession of vertically stacked points, and thus would generate a vertical luminous line extending in height throughout the range of oscillation of the presentation tube screen.

The three-dimensional object position indicating system of Fig. 1 is subject to indicated ambiguities in special cases where two objects, such as two aircraft in the vicinity of the radar station, are found to occupy a common vertical plane perpendicular to plane EFGH in Fig. 5, i. e., to be in a common north-south vertical plane. If these objects are at equal altitudes, or if their plan projections coincide, then they will be accurately represented in the three-dimensional image volume, and no improper images will appear. However, if they are at unequal altitudes and are not vertically aligned, then two false images will be produced in addition to the two images properly positioned to represent the energy reflecting objects. These false images will appear in the same north-south vertical plane, and will occur at the diagonally opposite corners of a rectangle having horizontal and vertical sides and having the other two corners at the true images of the energy refleeting objects.

Thus, for so long as two energy reflecting objects remain at equal displacements from the median north-south vertical plane passing through point 0. an ambiguity can result, with four images appearing instead of two. It will be apparent that this condition can lead to serious confusion, which can be multiplied if more than two objects are in a common north-south plane, the different objects being at different altitudes and not vertically aligned-the total number of images (including genuine images and false images) thus produced increases as the square of the number of objects at difierent altitudes in a common north-south vertical plane.

This possibility of erroneous indications can be overcome by use of a third image transfer device arranged to be operated in accordance with the projections of the object positions upon a north-south vertical plane IJKL, as represented in Fig. 6. An arrangement of this type is shown in Fig. 7, wherein the image projection transfer section of the three-dimensional radar system is illustrated as employing optical transfer from the input sides of the storage systems to the output sides thereof. For this purpose, a cathode ray oscilloscope and a television camera unit are juxtaposed with an intermediate lens system to form each image transfer unit, and three such units are provided, including a plan projection unit and an east-west vertical plane projection unit, generally in the manner of Fig. 1-3; and further including a north-south vertical plane projection unit, for the reasons set forth above.

The radar section I I, I3 and the associated trigonometric voltage controlling arrangements of Fig. l-A are employed in conjunction with the apparatus of Fig. '7. A first oscilloscope 20I is connected to receive deflection voltages corresponding to 1' cos a. and to 1' sin a. sin 0, respectively. This oscilloscope 20I, arranged for grid voltage control according to output impulses from the receiver output terminals 65 of unit II, presents a pattern of luminous dots corresponding to the points of projection of various. object positions upon the east-west vertical plane, i. e., upon the plane EFGH of Fig. 6. A second oscilloscope 203 having its intensity control terminals also connected to the radar receiver output terminals 05 is arranged for deflection of its electron beam according to 1' sin a. sin and ac- -of storage tubes IM and I03 respectively, of Fig.

1. A third oscilloscope 205 is arranged for vertical deflection according to 1 cos a, and for horizontal deflection according to 1' sin a cos 0. Accordingly, the oscilloscope 205 presents a view corresponding scalarly with the projection of the detected objects upon a north-south vertical plane, 1. e., upon the north-south vertical median plane IJKL of Fig. 6.

Three television cameras 202, 204, and 206 are provided with their sensitive screens facing the fluorescent presentation screens of the oscilloscopes 20l, 203 and 205 respectively. Television camera or pickup units 202 and 206 cooperate through a first coincidence circuit 201 to produce coincidence output signals only during moments of output from both camera units 202 and 206. The first coincidence circuit 201 and the remaining television camera 204 are in turn connected to the input circuits of a second coincidence circuit unit 209, so that unit 209 produces an output.

voltage only during a moment of output signals from all three of the television camera units. The output signals from coincidence circuit 209 are supplied to the intensity control terminals of a cathode ray oscilloscope 2 in the representation section H, which is arranged to cooperate with a rotary mirror system 2 l3 for the production of a three-dimensional volumetric image presentation in accordance with the principles of the aforementioned U. S. Patent 2,361,390.

The rotating mirror system 2I3 includes a motor 2l5 and a multiple-facet reflector disc 2 I1 including a series of sectoral mirrors at successively higher axial positions in the direction of rotation of the motor 215. With this arrangement, and with rotation of the motor H5 at a speed of the order of 1200 revolutions per minute, the apparent image depth is varied through a selected distance range twenty times per second. If desired, the sectoral mirrors in the disc 2" may correspond in number with the number of horizontal sweep frames per cycle of rotation of the disc 2i1.

A capacitance-resistance circuit 2l9 supplied by a battery 22l through a momentary contact switch 223 may be arranged to provide a sawtooth voltage increasing cyclically in fixed-phase relation with the rotation of the mirror unit 211. This voltage is applied to the vertical deflection circuits of television camera units 202 and 206 for providing vertical scanning through the two vertical plane projection rasters thereof in synchronism with the vertical scanning in the presentation arrangement 2, H3.

A saw-tooth sweep generator 225 arranged to operate at a much higher frequency than the vertical scan frequency, e. g., to operate at a frequency of 600 cycles per second, is arranged to produce synchronous sweeps in television camera 202 about the horizontal axis (corresponding to substantially horizontal sweeps in plane EFGH, Fig. 6), in television camera unit 204 (corresponding to east-west sweeps in the plane ABCD), and in the image presentation oscilloscope 2| I. The saw-tooth sweep generator 225 may have a synchronization input circuit coupled to the depth-scan saw-tooth sweep circuit 2l3, if desired, for locking the frequency of unit 225 to a selected multiple of the vertical scan frequency.

A further saw-tooth sweep generator 223 is arranged to provide a linear sweep output voltage of a still higher order of frequency, e. g. of the order of 30,000 cycles per second. This generator is arranged to effectuate synchronous 1o sweeping in cameras 204 and 200 and in the presentation oscilloscope 2 corresponding to the north-south direction in Fig. 6. Unit 223 may be arranged for operation at the frequency corresponding to a selected multiple of the sweep frequency of generator 225. The cathode ray tubes 23!. 233 and 235 of the transfer unit oscilloscopes I, 203 and 205 preferably are provided with long-persistence fluorescent screens. such that the images presented thereon are re- 20 tained through appreciable time intervals, with very gradual diminution of intensity. Lenses 24l, 243 and 245 are provided intermediate these screens and the photo-sensitive screens of the associated television camera'units, for assuring 25 reasonably high optical efficiency.

The diameter of the mirror wheel 2" is of a larger order of magnitude than the diameter of the fluorescent screen of oscilloscope 2H, and the shaft of motor M5 is displaced from alignment with the cathode ray screen by a distance cilloscope 2 is a very short-presistence screen.

'1 he principles of operation of the three-di mensional object detection and indication system of Fig. 7 correspond generally to those of the arrangement in Fig. 1-3, except that the system in Fig. 7 is entirely free from ambiguities by virtue of use of three projection transfer units, and also is possessed of electronic isolation between the plane projection oscilloscopes and th arrangements for developing corresponding signals according to the plane projections and actuating the presentation oscilloscope accordingly, this latter feature resulting from use of electronicoptical transducers 23l, 233, 235, and opticalelectronic transducers 202, 204 and 208. With this isolation feature, there can be no deteriorating, as through electron charge spreading or charge weakening, of the stored plane-projection images as a result of repeated scannings in the television camera units or output portions of the signal transfer section i5. 0:" course, the images 00 presented on the fluorescent screens on cathode ray oscilloscopes 20l, 203 and 205 are of gradually diminishing intensity after each rejuvenation thereof at the successive moments of alignment of antenna 2|, 23 (Fig. l-A) toward an 55 object, but the television camera units 202, 204

and 206 are arranged to supply full output signals even with reasonably weak image intensity values on the corresponding oscilloscope screens, and hence these diminutions do not seriously im- 7 pair the performance of the three-dimensional presentation system. i

It will be readily apparent that the references in the foregoing explanatory remarks to the eastwest and north-south planes are merely illustrative and are of no special significance. It is not aesaoas absolutely necessary that these directions be employed; any perpendicular reference planes may be made to correspond to the transfer unit screen projections.

While the present invention has been illustrated as employed for scanning a hemispherical volume of symmetry about a vertical axis through a fixed radar observation point, in an arrangement particularly advantageous for aircraft traffic control, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to such an application, but may be airborne or ship-home, and may be operated about a horizontal axis or an inclined axis of aiming, if preferred, as for indicating only those objects or targets occupying a selected zone, e. g., a sectoral zone generally ahead of a craft as for anti-collision warning or for tactical purposes.

Where the term radar" is employed in this specification and in the appended claims this term has reference to an object position determining system involving transmission of radio energy and reception of energy reflected or retransmitted from objects upon which some transmitted energy impinges, the radar system including directive scanning antenna means for distinguishing directions of the distant objects, and the object distance being determinable according to time delay between transmission and reception of the radio waves.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is: v

1. Three-dimensional object location apparatus comprising radar means for determining the distance and direction of each object in an extensive space volume, volumetric image presentation means for portraying images of successively greater distances from a reference point in space at recurrently increasing distances from a view point, and means for recurrently actuating said image presentation means momentarily at points in the presentation volume representing the positions of objects in space, said last named means comprising means coupled to and controlled by said distance and direction determining means and timed according to the recurrently increasing distance from said view-point for actuating said presentation means regularly at the object representation points, said means coupled to and controlled by said distance and direction determining means comprising means for receiving object positional data from said distance and direction determining means and for developing and retaining images positioned in accordance therewith, and means coupled to said volumetric image presentation means and operating synchronously with said recurrent variations of viewpoint distance for periodically supplying to said volumetric image presentation means actuating impulses correspondin with said object positions whereby said presentation means is actuated at points in the representation volume corresponding to the object positions in space.

2. Three-dimensional object location apparatus comprising radar means for determining the distance and direction of each object in an extensive space volume, volumetric image presentation means for portraying images of successively greater distances from a reference point in space at recurrently increasing distances from a view point. and means for recurrently actuating said image presentation means momentarily at points in the presentation volume representing the positions of objects in space, said last named means comprising means coupled to and controlled by said distance and direction determining means and timed according to the recurrently increasing distance from said viewpoint for actuating said presentation means regularly at the object representation points, said means coupled to and controlled by said distance and direction determining means comprising an electronic image storage tube having an input electron gun coupled to said distance and direction determinin .means and actuated thereby for production of electron images positioned according to object positions and also having an output electron gun coupled to said image presentation means and arranged for output electron beam deflection synchronously with the recurrent variations of viewpoint distance, said output electron gun including an electron collector electrode coupled to said image presentation means for actuation of said image presentation means in accordance with electron images traversed by said output electron beam.

3. In a system of the character described, radio object locating means, a plurality of multi-dimensional-image storage means responsive thereto, each of said plurality of image storage means providing a planar orthographic projection of object positions, and electronic indicating means jointly responsive to said plural image storage means to present a single three-dimensional positional representation of each object in a volumetric field of view.

4. In an airport traffic control system, radar means adapted to periodically scan a portion of space; image indicating means responsive thereto including image storagemeans having different input and output scanning frequencies; an electron-sensitive screen responsive to said image storage means to present plane views of successive altitudes; means to oscillate said electronsensitive screen relative to an observer; and means to vary the view on said screen accordin to successive altitude views synchronously with the oscillation of said screen to thereby present a three-dimensional representation of the space above the airport.

5. In an object locating system, directive radar transmitting and receiving means, a plurality of image storage tubes, means responsive to said radar means for providing one substantially planar image projection of radar energy reflecting objects in one of said image storage tubes and for providing a transverse'plane projection of said objects in another of said storage tubes, and cathode ray indicating means jointly responsive to said plural image storage means and including depth scanning means for presenting a scalar three-dimensional view of said objects.

6. In an object locating system, image pickup means; plural image storage means adapted to store transverse projection electrical representations of a multi-dimensional optical image; and indicating means including a cathode ray presentation device jointly responsive to said plural image storage means for presenting a multi-dimensional representation of said image, said lastnamed means including a mechanical scanner for modulation of the indicating means viewing distance.

7. In a radar object locating apparatus, image pickup means; image storage means adapted to store an electrical representation of a three-dimensional optical image; indicating means responsive thereto to present a three-dimensional representation comprising an electron sensitive screen, scanning means adapted to present successive planar or two-dimensional images on said screen, means to obtain information relative to the. third dimension perpendicular to said planar images, and means to utilize said information to make said screen present to the eye of an observer a three-dimensional representation, said last-named means including a presentation surface and viewing distance modulating means therefor.

8. Three-dimensional object locating means comprising a radar system, three-dimensional indicating means responsive to said radar means comprising an electron-sensitive indicating screen and at least one image storage tube having. a storage mosaic and input and output electron beam scanning means, the input scanning means being responsive to said radar means to deposit along the mosaic an electrical representation of an optical image in a first scanning frequency and in a first scanning pattern, and the output scanning means being adapted to transfer said electrical image representation to said electronsensitive screen at a difierent scanning frequency and in a different scanning pattern, said threedimensional indicating means comprising an oscilloscope having a viewing screen and means for point-illuminating said screen at positions within its area corresponding to the radar object positional data, and mechanical scanner-means for modulating the viewpoint distance thereto.

9. Image means comprising radar three-dimensional image pickup means, image storage means comprising a plurality of image storage tubes responsive to said image pickup means, oscilloscopic image indicating means responsive to said image storage means for presenting a three-dimensional representation, and means for periodically scanning one of said storage tubes and said indicating means at a first set of scanning frequencies and for scanning another of said storage means at a set of scanning frequencies including a difierent frequency from those of said first set, and for scanning said indicating means at said different frequency, the scanning of said indicating means at said first set of frequencies and at said different frequency being accomplishedsynchronously with the respective scannings of said storage tubes.

10. In an object locating system, means including a radar transmitter and receiver and directive antenna for periodically scanning a portion,

to present a three-dimensional view of said por-v tion of space and to display the radar objects in their scalar space positions in a miniature viewing volume.

11. Visual position indicating apparatus for 16 showing three-dimensional images of objects located at progressively greater distances from a viewing station comprising radar means and image storage means responsive thereto for pro-.

12. Visual position indicating apparatus for showing three-dimensional images of objects located at progressively greater distances from a viewing station comprising three-dimensional image pickup means and three-dimensionalimage storage means for providing the positional data of said objects, an electron-sensitive screen, means for impressingupon said electron-sensitive screen images of said objects located in accordance with said positional data, and oscillating means for moving said electron-sensitive screen backward and forward relative to the location of an observer at a rate sufficient to form persisting images within the volume swept through by said electron-sensitive screen.

13. In an object locating system, means including a radar transmitter and receiver and directive antenna means for periodically scanning a space zone and detecting energy reflections from objects therein, means responsive thereto including a plurality of image storage means having different input and output scanning patterns and having different frequencies, difierent ones of said storage means receiving difierent projections of the positions of radar targets, and means including a cathode ray tube and a visual depth scan mechanism for presenting in a space volume a three-dimensional representation of objects as located in said zone, said presentation means being responsive to said plurality of image storage means to receive the output components thereof.

JOHN L. PETERS.

ERIC J. ISBISTER.

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